Damien Allard from Quebec, Canada, is a master of growing giant vegetables. The largest radish he has grown weighs more than the previous world record holder by 11.3 kg.
After a year of dedicated cultivation, Damien Allard from Carleton-sur-Mer, Quebec, has become the owner of the three heaviest radishes in the world.
Starting from seeds sown in spring 2020, Damien harvested three radishes weighing 22.9 kg, 24.4 kg, and 29 kg respectively at the beginning of November of the same year. Damien submitted his record proposal to the Guinness World Records organization and received approval.
In November 2020, Guinness recognized Damien Allard’s 29 kg radish as the heaviest in the world. (Photo: Isabelle Larose).
The giant radish weighing 29 kg, with a circumference of 138 cm, height of 35 cm, and width of 46 cm, was officially recognized as the largest radish in the world. The previous record was a 17.7 kg radish grown in Alaska, USA, in 2004.
In an interview with local media, Mr. Allard expressed his joy, stating: “There are nearly 8 billion people on Earth, and I am the only one who has grown a radish this large. I am very, very happy. I have been working hard on my radish garden for the past two years. I guessed that this year would break the record, but I never thought my radish would weigh over 10 kg more than the old record.“
Allard weighs the giant radish under the observation of two witnesses. (Photo: Isabelle Larose).
The radish seeds were purchased from a local store and planted in early spring. The soil for cultivation was rich in urea, with 400 liters of compost. Mr. Allard meticulously cared for the plants throughout their growth, carefully monitoring the soil to prevent it from becoming acidic.
“I had to protect the plants in the spring because it froze hard for several nights, and I watered them with soluble fertilizer throughout the summer. On sunny days, the circumference of the radish increased by 1-2 cm per day,” he shared.
He has been interested in breaking records since 2016. (Photo: Isabelle Larose).
Allard’s inspiration for growing oversized vegetables came in 2016 when he unearthed a 7 kg radish. At that time, he researched world records and set a goal to break them. By 2019, Damien harvested a radish weighing 15.5 kg (the record at that time was 17.7 kg).
When asked what he would do with the giant radish, Allard replied that he would make a large quantity of radish ice cream. (Photo: Isabelle Larose).
After achieving the world record, Damien Allard challenged his neighbors: “I invite all the people of Gaspé to take the record next year. As for me, I have completed my goal.”
